V.

Towards the west of the Balaclava plain, the CHAP. ground was so undulating, and the view of it here and there so obstructed by orchards or vineyards, that although an observer well placed would be able to descry the advance of any enemy's force long, long before it could be close at hand, yet the near approach of even great bodies of troops might be hidden from the mind of a general who contented himself with the knowledge that was to be got from low ground. It may be easily imagined that, in the existing condition of things, our cavalry generals could not venture to separate themselves from their troops by even those slight distances which divided the low ground from neighbouring heights; but then also they failed to Want of charge others with the duty of maintaining a watch- ments for ful look-out from any of the commanding knolls and ridges which featured the landscape around them; and from this single omission there well might come two broods of error-the first brood consisting of 'sur'prises,' like the one which gave rise to this comment -the other brood comprising those ugly misconstructions which must always be likely to occur where he who sends orders can survey the whole field, and he who would try to obey them has only a circumscribed view.

arrange

an effec

tive look

out.

of the

The main body of the Russian cavalry, under the Advance orders of General Ryjoff, moved briskly up the North main body Valley, having with it some 32 pieces of field-artillery; Russian and as yet, the force did not bend southward (as the cavalry.

VOL. IV.

I

of the

V.

CHAP. four detached squadrons had done), but pushed on so far up towards the west (without being assailed by

our cavalry), that at length it incurred two shots, both discharged from the line of batteries which fringed the edge of the Chersonese. Checked apparently by this fire, the Russian cavalry, which had previously seemed to be one immense column, now showed itself to consist of two distinct masses, and during Its change some moments it seemed disposed to fall back; but

of direc

tion.

presently, the whole force, acting closely together, wheeled obliquely aside towards the line of the Woronzoff road, and began to cross over the Causeway Heights, as though minded to invade the South Valley, or else, at the least, to survey it. Lord Cardigan's brigade had just been moved to a position more advanced than before, and it now fronted towards the east. Therefore, although the configuration of the ground was such as to keep General Ryjoff in ignorance of what he had on his flank, yet, when he thus passed over the heights, he was moving (obliquely) across the front of our Light Cavalry.

So far as I have heard, there is no ground at all for believing that, when the Russian horse thus wheeled and faced to the south, it had yet had a glimpse of the foe with which, in hard fight, it was destined to be Its sudden presently striving; but as soon as the foremost horsediscovery of a great men of the leading column had moved up to the top opportunity. of the ridge, they all at once found that a great occasion was come.

Long before the flight of the Turkish battalions in

V.

of the

squadrons

under

towards

the ap

proaches of Kadi

the gorge of Kadiköi, Lord Raglan's sure glance had CHA P. enabled him to detect their unstable condition; and he had, therefore, sent an order directing that eight The march squadrons of Heavy Dragoons should be moved down eight to support them. Lord Lucan had entrusted the task of Heavy Dragoons to Brigadier-General Scarlett, the officer who com- which had manded our Heavy Brigade; and Scarlett was in the been sent act of executing Lord Raglan's order, when the Rus- Scarlett sian cavalry, as we have just been seeing, turned away from the valley and moved up over the summit of the Causeway ridge. Having with him the 5th Dragoon Guards, the Scots Greys, and the Inniskilling Dragoons-regiments numbering altogether six squadrons and having, besides, provided that to make up the 'eight,' the two squadrons of the 4th Dragoon Guards should follow him, Scarlett was marching along the South Valley, and making his way towards the east, with the Causeway Heights on his left.

For the purpose of seeing how these troops were brought into action, the order of march should be known. The movement being regarded as a movement within our own lines, and one therefore proceeding through ground in the unchallenged dominion of the English, was not conducted with the military precautions which would have been otherwise judged necessary, and no horsemen covered the march by moving along the top of the Causeway ridge. Scarlett did not apparently entertain an idea that Russian cavalry could come so high up the North Valley as the 'Num'ber Five' Redoubt, and manoeuvre on the ground

köi.

Cause duced

which in

Scarlett to

dispense cautions.

with pre

CHAP. which it reached, without bringing our Light Cavalry

V.

of march.

down on it.* Therefore no special directions were thought to be needed for this little march-a march through our own camping-ground — and no more elaborate operation was intended than that of moving all the three regiments by the same route in open The order column of troops. It chanced, however, that in turning one of the enclosures which obstructed its path, the 1st squadron of the Inniskillings took the righthand side of the obstacle, whilst the other squadron passed by the left of it; and in this way it resulted that the movement went on in two columns, the righthand column being led by the 1st squadron of the Inniskillings, and closed by the 5th Dragoon Guards ; whilst the left-hand column was led by the 2d squadron of the Inniskillings, and closed by the two squadrons of the Scots Greys. Those three last-named

This sketch-which, however, is not offered as a plan indicating the actual positions of the respective forces-may aid the comprehension of the text.

squadrons were moving in open column of troops, but CHAP. the right-hand column marched by 'threes.'

*

ground

been

by the

ron of the

the Greys at the

lings and

At the moment of the sudden discovery which will The be presently mentioned, the six squadrons thus led which had by Scarlett were marching in a direction nearly reached parallel with the line of the Causeway ridge, at a distance of some seven or eight hundred yards from Inniskil its summit; and the left-hand column was so shaping its course as to be able to skirt the remains of the Light Brigade camp, and also the lower fence of a vineyard there sloping down southward in the eye of the sun. The camp had been imperfectly struck; but some tents were yet standing, and the picket-ropes had not been removed.

time now in question;

Scarlett.

General Scarlett with Elliot, his aide-de-camp, was and by on the left of the column formed by the 2d squadron of the Inniskillings and the Scots Greys. Intent upon the special duty which had just been assigned to his squadrons by Lord Raglan's last order, he was keenly bending his sight in the direction of the Highland battalion which defended the approaches of Kadiköi, when Elliot cast a glance towards the ridge on his Sudden left, and saw its top fretted with lances. Another mo- ance of the ment and the sky-line was broken by evident squadrons of horse. Elliot, young as he was, had yet been inured to war, and he quickly was able to assure himself not only that powerful masses of Russian cavalry were gathered, and gathering, on the ridge,

* General Scarlett's impression was, that all six squadrons were moving upon the same line of march, and in open column of troops; but minute inquiry led to the conclusion stated in the text.

appear

enemy's

cavalry on

the flank

of Scar

lett's dra

goons.